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Extracellular DNA: A Critical Aspect of Marine Biofilms
| Content Provider | MDPI |
|---|---|
| Author | Tuck, Benjamin Salgar-Chaparro, Silvia J. Watkin, Elizabeth Somers, Anthony Forsyth, Maria Machuca, Laura L. |
| Copyright Year | 2022 |
| Description | Multispecies biofilms represent a pervasive threat to marine-based industry, resulting in USD billions in annual losses through biofouling and microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC). Biocides, the primary line of defence against marine biofilms, now face efficacy and toxicity challenges as chemical tolerance by microorganisms increases. A lack of fundamental understanding of species and EPS composition in marine biofilms remains a bottleneck for the development of effective, target-specific biocides with lower environmental impact. In the present study, marine biofilms are developed on steel with three bacterial isolates to evaluate the composition of the EPSs (extracellular polymeric substances) and population dynamics. Confocal laser scanning microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and fluorimetry revealed that extracellular DNA (eDNA) was a critical structural component of the biofilms. Parallel population analysis indicated that all three strains were active members of the biofilm community. However, eDNA composition did not correlate with strain abundance or activity. The results of the EPS composition analysis and population analysis reveal that biofilms in marine conditions can be stable, well-defined communities, with enabling populations that shape the EPSs. Under marine conditions, eDNA is a critical EPS component of the biofilm and represents a promising target for the enhancement of biocide specificity against these populations. |
| Starting Page | 1285 |
| e-ISSN | 20762607 |
| DOI | 10.3390/microorganisms10071285 |
| Journal | Microorganisms |
| Issue Number | 7 |
| Volume Number | 10 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | MDPI |
| Publisher Date | 2022-06-24 |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Subject Keyword | Microorganisms Environmental Engineering Extracellular Dna Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion Biofilm Extracellular Polymeric Substances Epss |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Article |